Playing into gender stereotyping in a preschool theatre production

Abstract:

Imagine that you are seated in a school hall in a middle to lower socio-economic
residential area. The lights are slowly dimmed and the music starts. You are the parent
to a five year old, soon to perform in his first nursery school play. The curtain rises
and the group of five-year-old boys sway to the music of a popular Afrikaans song,
“Leeuloop,” (translated as “lion walk”) that celebrates rugby, a nationally popular
sport, but also other male dominated ball sports.